Abstract ID: 3.9026 | Reviewing | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

The study of alpine tree-line dynamics is a crucial effort in identifying biological processes that are influenced by the climate under projected global warming scenarios. Treeline dynamics have significant effects on the alpine ecotone’s biodiversity and the global carbon cycle by altering the terrestrial carbon sink and perhaps driving out rare species and upsetting alpine plant ecosystems. This research work deals with delineating the treeline elevations of the years 1993, 2006, 2013, and 2023 carbon stock along the tree-line zone, and identifying the effective measures for the carbon benefit in the North-west aspect of the Rolwaling valley, Dolakha, Nepal by using Landsat imagery, inventory, key-informant survey, and secondary data analysis. The treeline elevation was done using the LISA (Local Indicator of Spatial Association) autocorrelation method, above-ground carbon estimation was done by inventory using stratified random sampling where the strata were based on the elevation of 100m, and 12 sample plots of size 500 m2 were laid randomly and an effective measure for carbon benefit was identified by key informant survey using the pairwise comparison. The treeline elevation remained almost constant in the study area with an average elevation of 3956.93±18.62m in 1993, 3957.83±17.28.68m in 2006, 3961.49±18.30m in 2013, and 3961.49±18.30 in 2023 with a shift of 4.56m in the given time frame. There was a slightly upward trend in the NDVI of 0.0011 units per year, indicating improved vegetation health or density over the 30 years in the study area. Additionally, there was a decrease in above-ground carbon with the increase in elevation, so elevation 3700-3800m has the highest above-ground carbon of 48.33 Mg/ha and 3900-4000m has the least carbon of 40.52 Mg/ha showing the above-ground carbon decreases by approximately 67.84 kg per meter rise in elevation. Forest restoration and Silviculture interventions were found to be the most effective measures for carbon benefits, while scientific research and monitoring, as well as introducing keystone species, were seen as the least effective. A thorough assessment of carbon stock should be conducted at regular intervals for the economic valuation of carbon to enable carbon trading and bolster the national economy.